Barbastro, April 6th of 2026. On 17 March, Gérontopôle Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Bordeaux University Hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux – CHU) held a workshop on identifying palliative care needs at the CHU's headquarters. This event was part of the HENKO NET project, which is co-funded by the Interreg Sudoe programme.
Members of the healthcare sector in Barbastro attended this conference, which brought together researchers and professionals from France, Spain and Portugal for a workshop aimed at strengthening competencies in the early identification of palliative care needs.
IDCPAL, Identification of clinical needs in palliative care
Cristina Lueza, a primary care doctor, took part in a session entitled 'IDC-PAL (Identification of Clinical Needs in Palliative Care): Exchanges Between France and Spain'. During the session, professionals from France and Spain shared their experiences and conclusions regarding the pilot implementation of the IDC-PAL tool for identifying complexity in palliative care.
In the pilot study conducted in the Barbastro healthcare sector, ten patients were assessed using the IDCPAL tool between December 2025 and February 2026. The IDCPAL tool was used to assess the complexity of patients receiving palliative care, with the aim of classifying them according to their needs and identifying those requiring specific or advanced care. The instrument, which was created by the Regional Government of Andalusia, analyses various factors relating to the patient, their family and the healthcare organisation. This tool assists professionals in optimizing the allocation of resources and providing the most appropriate level of care for each patient.
Conclusions of the workshop
The workshop participants agreed that identifying palliative care needs at an early stage was important in order to plan interventions in advance, improve care planning, and avoid delayed responses that could negatively impact quality of life.
Another key issue that emerged was the need to improve communication and coordination between the various services involved by integrating common tools and protocols, and establishing collaborative working practices to facilitate continuity of care.
This international exchange brought together care workers from the health and social care sectors. Participants reaffirmed the need to place patients at the centre of the care process, identified similarities and differences in the implementation of palliative care tools, and discussed new areas of work. An example is an AI-powered predictive system that harmonises various tools and identifies the needs of people requiring palliative care from a broader perspective.
HENKO NET general assembly
The following day, 18 March, members of the Innovation Unit in the healthcare sector in Barbastro attended the project’s general assembly, which also took place in Bordeaux.
To date, the Barbastro healthcare sector has carried out two of the HENKO NET project's three mini-pilot schemes, which are one of the project's main actions and aim to promote innovation and the adoption of innovative digital technologies in palliative care.
Proyect Henko NET
https://sectorbarbastro.salud.aragon.es/es/innovacion/curso/henko
